Various medical procedures require accessing a body cavity via an insertion device such as a trocar assembly. For example, the abdominal cavity contains organs such as the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, urinary bladder, and small and large intestines, and is lined with a protective membrane, the peritoneum. As such, to gain surgical access to these above-identified organs, an insertion device must pass through the peritoneum and position a distal portion of the device adjacent the treatment site thereby providing a passageway for the medical professional to the site.
Typically, these procedures require the insertion device to be pushed through the peritoneum following insufflation. Insufflation is the practice of introducing a non-inert gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) into the cavity so as to expand the cavity. As the cavity expands, the peritoneum moves away from the internal organs thereby reducing the potential for injury during delivery of the device. However, this practice is still not entirely desirable. For example, poor control of the insertion device can result in over-insertion of the device thereby resulting in injury. Also, blades are commonly positioned at the distal tip of the insertion device to facilitate driving the device through the tissue of the cavity wall. These blades increase the risk of injury once inside the body cavity. Further, while insufflation allows for added distance between the peritoneum and organs, this working area remains extremely small.
As such, there remains a need in the art for an insertion device capable of being safely introduced to a body cavity.